360 SAPOTACEA. 
The ash of the seeds is yellowish- white, and dissolves almost 
completely in water. It gives by analysis— 
Silicic acid and portion insoluble in 
nitric acid wtice ee 
Phosphoric acid 15°47 
Sulphuric acid 6°81 
Carbonic anhydride .. 7°46 
Ferric oxide and alumina ...:........ 2:01 
Lime ines 
Potash with — Gl. SOUR .... eeicdiscs 56°68 
Moisture and loss 0:26 
—(Year-Book of Pharmacy, 1886, p. 174.) 
According to MM. E. Heckel and F. Schlagdenhauffen 
(Journ.de Pharm. et de Chim., 1889,) the latex of B. latifolia 
has the following composition : — 
Water : 87°40 
Acid formic (trace) and acid acetic ..........+. 0°50 
Insol. in water 1-666 { Se ee cna i aa 
Sol. in water 0°172 { Sead See oe 
Sol. in alcohol resin a ; 2°043 
Sol. in acetone .....+... SS 2 See ae 2:824 
Gutta-percha 7 1:803 
Ash ; %, 3°792 
100-000 
The gutta-percha is flesh-coloured, tolerably hard at ordi- 
nary temperatures, but softens when worked with the hand and 
becomes sticky ; dried at 105° C. it loses about 60 per cent, of 
water; strongly pressed and dried on a water-bath, it becomes 
light brown, gradually hardens, and becomes covered with a 
white efflorescence, which dissolves at once in chloroform and 
bisulphide of carbon, and less easily in cold alcohol. Boiling 
alcohol and acetone dissolve 3 of its weight; the solution filter- 
ed whilst hot sepoaty a grumous mass, without any trace of 
